Alex Potter and Il Gardellino present two sacred cantatas by Bach from 1726: Geist und Seele wird verwirret BWV 35 and Gott soll allein mein Herze haben BWV 169. In these two works the thoroughly secular origins of the genre become clear. The expressive recitatives and virtuoso arias bear more witness to the influence of Italian opera than to Bach's Lutheran roots. Moreover, concertante instrumental music plays a prominent role in these cantatas, which are preceded by independent introductory symphonies with obbligato organ.